Vision Transformers for Single Image Dehazing

Image dehazing is a representative low-level vision task that estimates latent haze-free images from hazy images. In recent years, convolutional neural network-based methods have dominated image dehazing. However, vision Transformers, which has recently made a breakthrough in high-level vision tasks, has not brought new dimensions to image dehazing. We start with the popular Swin Transformer and find that several of its key designs are unsuitable for image dehazing. To this end, we propose DehazeFormer, which consists of various improvements, such as the modified normalization layer, activation function, and spatial information aggregation scheme. We train multiple variants of DehazeFormer on various datasets to demonstrate its effectiveness. Specifically, on the most frequently used SOTS indoor set, our small model outperforms FFA-Net with only 25% #Param and 5% computational cost. To the best of our knowledge, our large model is the first method with the PSNR over 40 dB on the SOTS indoor set, dramatically outperforming the previous state-of-the-art methods. We also collect a large-scale realistic remote sensing dehazing dataset for evaluating the method's capability to remove highly non-homogeneous haze

Caspase polymorphisms and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

The aim of our study was to determine the impact of genetic polymorphisms in the caspase (CASP) genes on prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We genotyped 7 potentially functional polymorphisms in CASP3, CASP7, CASP8, CASP9, CASP10 genes in 362 HCC patients of receiving surgical resection of HCC tumor. The associations of genotype and haplotype with overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were analyzed by using the Cox proportional hazards model. We found that the CASP9 rs4645981 C allele was significantly associated with positive effect on DFS (P = 0.011 and 0.016 for CT+CC vs. TT in univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively), CT genotype was associated with a better OS of HCC than the TT genotype both in univariate and multivariate analysis (P = 0.048 and 0.041, respectively). Moreover, the CASP3 rs2705897 GT genotype showed marginally significant association with decreased OS and DFS, compared with the GG genotype. One haplotype TT/TG in CASP3 (constructed by rs12108497 T>C and rs2705897 T>G) was significantly associated with decreased OS and DFS, compared to the common haplotype TT/TT both in univariate analysis (P = 0.021 and 0.026, respectively) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.025 and 0.030, respectively). The haplotype GT/GT in CASP9 (constructed by rs4645978 A>G and rs4645981 C>T) was significantly associated with decreased DFS both in univariate and multivariate analysis (P = 0.012 and 0.010, respectively). In conclusion, the CASP9 rs4645981 polymorphism, CASP3 and CASP9 haplotypes may be useful prognosis markers for HCC patients with surgical resection of tumor

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

FIGURES 11 – 13 in A new species of Truljalia Gorochov 1985 from Taiwan (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Podoscirtinae; Podoscirtini)

FIGURES 11 – 13. Calling song of Truljalia formosa sp. nov.: 11. waveform (scale bar = 1 second); 12. waveform (scale bar = 0.1 second); 13. frequency spectrum

Exploration Practice of Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Bovine Brucella

Bovine brucellosis is bovine brucellosis, a zoonotic infectious disease. It has the characteristics of wide distribution and great harm, which seriously hinders the improvement of economic benefits of the cattle industry. With the rapid development of economic exchanges, livestock breeding and trading activities between regions have become more frequent, and the epidemic of bovine brucellosis has gradually spread. China's "Animal Epidemic Prevention Law" stipulates brucellosis as a second-class infectious disease, which is caused by Brucella. Cattle infections can cause abortion, stillbirth, infertility, lameness and orchitis, which pose a huge threat to the development of the breeding industry. With the continuous expansion of the number and scale of domestic cattle raising, the epidemic situation of brucellosis has rebounded. This article is mainly aimed at the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of bovine brucellosis, and puts forward opinions and suggestions based on the actual situation